CAMELIDYNAMICS SPRING 2005 NEWSLETTER

I hope your winter weather is moderating, the mud is drying and you are enjoying the longer days. Spring is a wonderful time of year with fresh starts and new arrivals. This spring is bringing many important changes our way...

Hope to see you soon,

marty@camelidynamics.com

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

NEW! Camelidynamics Training Center
Rocky
Advanced Clinic Update
Camelidynamics Camelid College
Camelidynamics at AOBA!
Marty Awarded TTEAM/TTouch Instructor Status
Quarterly Training Tip: Load Up!

WE HAVE MOVED!

We are now the very proud owners of a small ranch just outside Bend Oregon. Both the May and August Advanced Clinics will be held here at our new home. We don't yet have a couch, but the office is up and running and by May we'll be ready for our first event.

Our ten-acre ranch is only about 10 minutes from Bend and is perfect for our new Camelidynamics Training Center. We have a wonderful seminar/video room, plenty of outdoor paddocks, lots of big trees for shade, an irrigation canal, pond and small barn.

If all goes according to plan, a new barn with dorm facilities will make its appearance in 2006. No barnyard animals yet, but when the time is right a few llamas and alpacas will make our ranch their home along with chickens and maybe even a goat. Interesting llamas and alpacas for the Advanced Clinics will be provided by local farms (more on the Camelid Camp later in the newsletter).

Our new address is 18380 Pinehurst Road Bend, OR 97701 (Phones and email all remain the same.)

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ROCKY

Many of you have met our wonderful big red dog, Rocky. He served as the "best dog" at our wedding wearing a tuxedo for the entire afternoon, cheerfully traveled this entire country in our motor home for eighteen months and has been our constant companion for seven years. We often said that if Rocky could only poop gold, he would have been perfect in every way. I take it back...he was perfect in every way. We had to put Rocky to sleep on March 3rd. He was the victim of a particularly insidious and aggressive form of cancer that affects the heart. We will really miss him.

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ADVANCED CLINIC UPDATE

As of this writing both 2005 Advanced Clinics are almost full. There are four spaces left in the May training and two in the August training. The Advanced Clinic serves two purposes:

The Advanced Clinics constitute the core program for those people who are studying to become a Camelidynamics practitioner, and
Offers a 4-day stand-alone course for those who simply want more in-depth, hands-on instruction in Camelidynamics.

There is a pre-requisite of one 2-day Basics Clinic in order to attend. If you can arrange to attend a 2-day clinic before the Advanced Clinic, then you can sign up for either 2005 Advanced Clinics now. The early bird registration date for the May clinic is March 21. Early bird tuition is $540 (tuition after 3/21 is $600). Complete downloadable details are available at http://camelidynamics.com/2005AdvancedClinic.html

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CAMELIDYNAMICS CAMELID CAMP

Do you live within driving distance of Bend, Oregon? Do you have a llama/s or alpaca/s that could benefit from some expert training and handling? We are looking for animals for the May and August Advanced Clinics. Animals will be housed in small paddocks and will have access to pastures for exercise and will be respectfully and kindly handled on a daily basis.

We are looking for:

Untrained animals
Animals that have specific difficulties, such as spitting, kicking, inappropriate kushing, difficulty leading.

(We may be hand shearing a limited number of animals.)
There is no charge for animals to attend. Owners must provide transportation and food for the four days. For details, go to http://www.camelidynamics.com/camelidcamp.html or call Marty at (541) 318-5026.

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CAMELIDYNAMICS AT AOBA!

We will be making our way to Salt Lake City for the Annual AOBA conference. Marty will be presenting a talk about raising young alpacas to be confident and respectful adults. Brad will be manning the booth and helping folks with halter fitting and other equipment questions. During the conference, I will be conducting mini-demo's at exhibitor booths free of charge. Mini-demos provide you with hands on help with your animals and also attract a crowd of brand new alpaca enthusiasts to your booth!

If you are interested in hosting one of these mini-demos, email marty@camelidynamics.com to get on the list. (First come first served.) We will work out specific times once we all arrive and get settled. The mini-demos will be advertised at our booth and times are very flexible. Make plans to stop in and say hello if you are coming to the conference!

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MARTY AWARDED TTEAM/TTOUCH INSTRUCTOR STATUS

I recently updated my TTEAM and the TTouch credentials by attending Linda Tellington-Jones Advanced Training for work with companion animals in Kona, Hawaii. Brad was able to travel with me and audited some of the training as well. What a fantastic experience. Linda's place is beautiful, and she is a fabulous host. We were able to snorkel, swim with wild dolphins and had an unrivaled whale experience. I learned tons of new concepts and was honored by Linda's designation as The Camelid Instructor for TTEAM and the TTouch. We are working closely to coordinate the Camelidynamics Practitioner Guild for llamas and alpacas with the TTouch and TTEAM programs.

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SPRING TRAINING TIP:
GETTING TO THE SHOW! TRAILERING YOUR CAMELID

I believe that traveling for an alpaca or llama is much more frightening than we probably realize. From an animal's point of view, getting in a small box and jumping out into a totally new environment must be pretty weird. There is nothing in their lives that would prepare them for the sensations involved in traveling in a trailer, van or car. There are ways to ease a llama or an alpaca's fear and reduce the stress of travel without investing an unrealistic amount of time.

Traveling Tips

Ideally you are hauling your new llama or alpaca in something he can stand in (even if he must keep his head down when standing). The good news for us humans is that it is natural for most camelids to lie down when they are traveling. However, when a camelid is lying down he has a small area on which to balance and little opportunity to create a stable platform. Nature has not designed camelids for balancing while lying down in a moving vehicle. You can help your animal relax more fully while traveling if you consider the issue of balance as you plan for his trip.

Orienting your animal at an angle to the line of travel will help. Using hay bales or partitions to orient the way your llamas or alpacas position themselves will guide them into lying down in a way that contributes to their ability to balance as well as giving them something to lean against.

Unnecessary noise and sudden movements will all contribute to a feeling of anxiety. Wrap metal parts that clank and bang with cloth or duct tape and drive with an awareness of your passenger, brake gently and early and take corners slowly and smoothly. In order to imagine what it would be like the first few times your camelid is transported, think of yourself being hustled into a new carnival ride- a roller coaster for example. Now imagine riding it for several hours! Ideally your camelid's first trip is going to be a very short one up the driveway and back home. First impressions are really important. Your llama or alpaca will learn to relax while traveling if his first few excursions are short and sweet.

Comfort is obviously important when it comes to your camelid's attitude about traveling. Dense padding is probably the most important factor that will contribute to a comfortable ride. Your animal's legs and under belly are designed to rest on the ground for long periods however under normal circumstances the ground wouldn't bounce and shift nor would your animal be denied the opportunity to stand up and shift around. In addition many trailer floors are much harder than the ground. Thickness is not the same as shock absorption. Density is much more important. A two-inch dense rubber mat will provide more in the way of comfort than a ten-inch piece of non-dense foam. What ever flooring you use in your conveyance along with any ramps or steps, the surface should provide good footing even when wet. An old piece of carpet thrown on top of some dense rubber matting works great.

Wind is another factor to consider. Asking your llama or alpaca to endure four hours of a 50-mile per hour wind in his face is a bit much. A windscreen is a fairly easy addition to most conveyances. Wind blowing around inside an open sided stock trailer is a very good reason to avoid bedding with hay or straw. Chaff blowing around inside a trailer is no good for your animal's fleece or his eyes.

Your animal will do his level best not to go potty in a van or trailer so visit the dung pile before you load. Otherwise your camelid may spend hours in discomfort trying not to go to the bathroom. Before leaving home pick up a bit of poop in a small airtight container and take it with you. That way when you stop at a rest stop you can off load your animal's open up the poop container and the urge to go will hit.

Camelids feel safer with another llama or alpaca around. When possible take at least two animals. Take two animals to a show if at all possible. Ideally one will be an experienced traveler and can transmit his calm attitude to his more inexperienced traveling companions.

Your llama or alpaca will be using new muscles to keep his balance while traveling and might very well be sore the next day. If your are traveling to a show it might be smart and kind to take a nice walk to help loosen up the kinks before settling your animal into his small show stall.

Many people feel it is safer to leave a halter the animal during transport. If you decide to leave a halter, on it is very important to make sure that it fits properly. NEVER TIE YOUR ALPACA OR LLAMA IN THE TRAILER WHILE BEING TRANSPORTED. MANY CAMELIDS HAVE MET THEIR DEATH THIS WAY. CAMELID NECKS ARE TOO LONG TO LEAVE AN UNATTENDED ANIMAL TIED especially in a moving vehicle.

What to do if your animal doesn't want to load
If you find yourself loading a reluctant animal try this....First work your way close to the trailer or van. Get inside, getting as far into the vehicle and as far away from the animal as you can. Use your lead rope only to keep the animal's nose and attention oriented toward the vehicle. Aside from insisting that your animal look directly at the vehicle in question, offer NO pressure on the head. No pressure means that the hook attached to the halter is dangling freely.

Often handlers don't think they are pulling on the head when in fact they are. Look at the hook attached to the halter. If the hook is not pointing at the ground you have not taken all pressure off of the leadrope. If the animal tries to back up, set your hand and resist. Tell him with the signals from your hand, "I am not going to pull you into the trailer but ...no backing up!"When the llama or alpaca tries to back up use intermittent signals on the lead rope and do your best to transfer the animals weight from the rear end back to the front end. As soon as possible, put slack in the line again-and check that hook to make sure you are not putting any pressure on the lead!

Marty simulates a trailering experience, quietly and patiently awaiting forward movement.

Look at your watch and wait a full two minutes before giving any signals to the head. BE QUIET. Your animal student needs time and quiet to think about the trailer. Every time you let loose with "Come on Teddy- Come on, Come on, you can do it. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Load up. Come on. Come on. Come on. You can do it. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Its okay," you distract your animal from the issue at hand. Be totally quiet.

Each time you give a signal on the lead you distract your animal from inspecting the trailer and making the decision to try getting in. Just be still and quiet and look at your watch. Each time the animal takes a step forward your timer is reset and you must wait a full two minutes before giving signals on the lead. Alpacas and llamas hate a vacuum and they are very uncomfortable standing still and doing nothing. Your animal wants to move. As long as you don't let your animal either lean backwards on the lead or back away from the vehicle he will move, and the only way is forward into the vehicle.

I have used this method when loading animals when it is time to go home after a clinic, and it works very reliably and quickly. I have very seldom waited more than 5-10 minutes for an animal to figure out how to load himself. This is not very long when you think about it. Using this technique rather than picking your animal up will make subsequent loading a breeze. Your 15-minute investment will give your llama or alpaca a chance to actually figure out how to load.
Happy Travels.

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